Machine for forming oil-cakes.



A. W. FRENCH.

MACHINE FOR FORMING 0IL GAKES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1909.

939,492. Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

111mm)? Zfi messes ANDREW. B. GRAHAM cm. PHOTOMYHOGRAPNERS WASHINGYON,u. ,n

A. W. PRENGH.

MACHINE FOR FORMING OIL CAKES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1909.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mm v 45 "IE-523mm 1."!!!1 llllllllllll nil!!!" WEI % I s .142 Z0 772635munsw, airman cm. vuovo-umocmmsne. wnsmuaron. o. c

ALr1 .EI w. FRENCH, or PIQUA, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR LEQEMING OIL-CAKES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N 9, 1909.

Application filed Ll'anuary 2c, 1909. Serial a... 474,198.

in the oil press. The meal is delivered to the mold box of the cakeformer in measured quantities suitable for the cakes by an openendedcharge or distributing box, which receives the charge of meal from thecooking kettle and is reciprocated horizontally over the cake formertodeposit and distribute the meal in the mold box. Owing to-the tendencyof the particles of meal to cling or lump together, the meal in thecharge box dragging over the meal in the mold box frequently tears awaysurface portions or lumps from the meal in the mold box, thus leavingthe meal in the mold box uneven or with pits or cavities therein, whichmakes the cake irregular, resulting in a reduced yield of oil and lackof uniformity in the weight and quality of the oil cake. Where thecharge box is operated by hand, a skilful operative can, if careful,move the charge box back and forth over the mold box a sufiicient numberoftimes to prevent in some measure the irregularities in the cake, butin machines in which the charge box is actuated automatically its actioncannot ordinarily be changed so as to insure uniformity in the cakes.

The object of this invention is to so form or construct the meal chargeor distributing box of cake forming machines that it will distribute themeal uniformly and evenly in the mold box and prevent irregularities inthe thickness and weight of the cakes.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets: Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a cake forming'machine provided with a charge boxembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlargedscale, of the charge box. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 4 is anend elevation thereof. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section thereofillustrating the actlon of the charge box.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several. figures.

In Fig. 1, A represents a cooking kettle or other receptacle for themeal. B represents the cylinder, B the movable ram or platen, O thehinged press head, D the mold box, and E the .meal chargeor distributingbox of a cake forming machine. The mold box D is formed by the platen Bwhich has raised flanges at its front and rear sides, and hinged bars (1at the ends of the platen. The cake forming machine illustrated isconstructed and operates as more fully described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 432,782, filed May 10, 1908. The charge box,which, as usual, has openupper and lower ends, receives the meal fromthe kettle while supported on a table 6 beneath the discharge opening ofthe kettle and is reciprocated from this position over the mold box by afluid-operated piston e to deposit and distribute the meal in the moldbox. The cake forming machine, with the exception of the construction ofthe charge box, to be presently described, can be of any usual orsuitable construction, and the charge box can be actuated mechanicallyor by hand.

The charge box E is of the usual truncated pyramidal shape, open at topand bottom, and may be made of metal, as shown, or'of other material.The front wall f of the box e. the forward wall as regards the directionof movement of the box outwardly from the kettle over the mold box),however, terminates at its lower edge above the horizontal plane of thelower edges of the other walls of the box, as shown at f, Figs. 1 and 5,and the box is provided with a front extension F which provides asupplemental chamber or compartment f in front of the front wall f ofthe box. The front wall f of this supplemental chamber extendsdownwardly below the lower edge of the front wall f of the main chamberor box proper, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. This box extension can beformed by a bent metal plate having sides riveted to the sides of thebox E, as shown, or it can be constructed in any other suitable way. Themeal is delivered from the kettle only into the main chamber or boxproper E, and the supplemental chamber can be either open or closed atthe top, as preferred. The charge box shown is provided, as usual, withwheels G which travel on the table e and platen B for supporting thebox, and with a tail plate or apron g for closing the discharge openingof the kettle when the charge box is moved outwardly.

hen the charge box moves forwardly over the mold box with the charge ofmeal, the meal falls into and is distributed more or less in the moldbox, and during the return movement of the charge box the front wall fof the main chamber scrapes or levels the meal in the mold box, butleaves the meal deeper in the mold box than is required to make thecake, on account of the lower edge of said wall f being above the top ofthe mold box. The front wall f of the box extension or supplementalchamber, however, following the wall f of the main chamber and dependingbelow the lower edge thereof, scrapes off the surplus surface portion ofthe meal left by the wall f of the box, and this surplus mealaccumulating in the supplemental chamber falls into and fills any pitsor hollow places left in the meal in the mold box due to surfaceportions of the meal in the mold box adhering to the meal in the chargebox and being torn away from the meal in the mold box, as beforeexplained. The charge box constructed with the extension or supplementalchamber as described therefore leaves the meal evenly distributed in themold box and of uniform depth throughout, and enables cakes of uniformthickness and weight to be made in automatic forming machines in whichthe charge box is operated mechanically, is reciprocated relativelyrapidly and but one time over the mold box for each cake.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a cake forming machine, the combination with a mold box, of acharge box which receives the charge of meal and is moved over the moldbox to deposit the charge therein, said charge box having at one end anextension provided with a wall which extends below the horizontal planeof the lower edge of the adjacent end wall of the box, substantially asset forth.

2. A charge box for cake forming machines which receives the charge ofmeal and is moved over the mold box to deposit the charge therein, saidcharge box having at one end thereof outwardly beyond. its end wall awall which extends below the horizontal plane of the lower edge of saidend wall, substantially as set forth.

3. A charge box for cake forming machines which receives the charge ofmeal and is moved over the mold box to deposit the charge therein, oneend wall of said charge box terminating at its lower edge above thehorizontal plane of the lower edges of the other walls of the box, saidbox having an extension with a wall which is located outwardly beyondsaid end wall and extends downwardly below the horizontal plane of thelower edge of said end wall, substantially as set forth.

4. A charge box for cake forming machines which is moved over the moldbox and has a main chamber open at the top for receiving the charge ofmeal and open at the bottom for delivering the charge into the mold box,and which has a supplemental chamber at one end with an end wall whichextends downwardly below the horizontal plane of the lower edge of theadjacent end wall of said main chamber, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a meal receptacle, and a mold box, of a chargebox which is moved over the mold box and has a main chamber open at thetop for receiving the charge of meal from said receptacle and open atthe bottom for delivering the charge into said mold box, and which has asupplemental chamber with an end wall which extends downwardly below thehorizontal plane of the lower edge of the adjacent end wall of said mainchamber, said supple mental chamber receiving only meal scraped from themold box, substantially as set forth.

lVit-ness my hand, this 14- day of January,

ALFRED V. FRENCH. lVitnesses G. B. JAMISON, C. B. Ur'roN.

